Romania's Finance Ministry raised the temporary excise duty cut on diesel to 25% for September 1–15 as international fuel prices surge, aiming to ease pressure on transport and consumer goods costs.
Romania’s Ministry of Finance announced on 31 August 2026 that it has increased the temporary excise duty reduction on standard diesel to 25% for the first half of September 2026, up from the 20% reduction applied in August.
The adjustment follows Law no. 162/2026 and its bimonthly assessment mechanism, which automatically recalibrates support levels based on international market conditions.
The new reduction amounts to RON 701.07 per 1,000 litres or RON 829.69 per ton. Between 1 September and 15 September 2026, the effective excise duty on standard diesel will stand at RON 2,103.22 per 1,000 litres and RON 2,489.05 per ton, respectively.
Minister of Finance Alexandru Nazare stated the intervention responds to recent market pressures. International diesel quotations via Platts (VPM) climbed 45.65% while standard average pump prices (VM) rose 25.45%—movements that triggered the automatic escalation to the 25% threshold under the law’s formula.
The measure aims to contain fuel cost transmission across supply chains, particularly in transport and logistics, which directly affects consumer goods pricing.
The Ministry of Finance will reassess rates every two weeks and adjust the excise duty level according to ongoing international market developments.
Earlier, Romania gazetted Law No. 162/2026 on 4 August 2026 to address a crisis in the domestic oil and petroleum products market. The law caps fuel distributors’ commercial margins, introduces a solidarity contribution on extraordinary revenues from crude oil extraction and refining, and provides variable reductions in diesel excise duties based on market prices.
